That was an apt comparison, made by Conrado de Quiros in his Nov. 23 column, between former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, although it’s debatable who is the more loathed of the two.
Indeed, President Aquino reignited the people’s faith in government and in justice by going hammer and tongs after GMA to make her accountable for her sins to the Filipino people—sins that mimicked those of Marcos during the dark days of martial law.
De Quiros was correct in saying that P-Noy’s “daang matuwid” is anchored in rooting out corruption once and for all by proving that corruption doesn’t pay and that even big fishes like the Arroyos can be caught if a leader has the political will to do what is right.
Reconciliation can only come after accountability, and there is no contesting the fact that this is P-Noy’s—no, make that our country’s—most glorious moment as we show the world that we are a people who cannot be slapped around by those who cheat during elections and then steal from public coffers.
It was good while it lasted for the Arroyos when they were in power, but those days, thankfully, are behind us now. Our country can now move forward, content with the knowledge that the Arroyos are being made accountable for the rape and plunder of our economy and for their rank perversion of our political system.
—GEMMA ABACAN,
abacan.gemma@gmail.com